European competitiveness and energy efficiency: Focusing on the real issue

This discussion paper on competitiveness and energy efficiency published by eceee argues that the EU debate wrongly focuses on high energy prices rather than looking at strategies for getting the costs down. The paper explores how energy efficiency is the most powerful and quickest way to cut the energy costs of European businesses, and thereby boosting their competitiveness.
The paper points out the simple fact that energy prices are not necessarily the cause of high costs. Application of energy efficiency reduces the volume of energy used and since costs are the product of price and volume, energy efficiency mitigates accordingly the disadvantage that higher prices may have.